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2018 Amgen Tour of California Men’s and Women’s race routes announced

  • Ron 

Cycling fans can begin plotting their roadside viewing points along the 2018 Amgen Tour of California route, announced today by AEG, owner and presenter of the 13th annual race.

America’s premier cycling stage race will cover 645 miles of roadways, highways and coastlines during seven stages from Long Beach to Sacramento May 13-19. Known for epic sprinter showdowns, three of the sport’s greatest are confirmed to race this year: Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data), Marcel Kittel (Team KATUSHA ALPECIN) and “King of California” Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe), cycling’s first three-time consecutive World Champion, who also holds the California race record for most stage wins (16).

Sagan, who recently won his 2018 season opener, will come into the Amgen Tour of California defending his seventh California Green Jersey for dominating the race’s overall Sprint competition.

“Building up to the Tour de France with a strong performance at the Amgen Tour of California is always an important goal. The race is one of my favorite competitions every year – always challenging competition and such beautiful scenery – and I’m excited to return and try for more stage wins this year!” said Sagan.

The Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race empowered with SRAM, showcasing the world’s best women cyclists, will run concurrently May 17-19, covering upward of 187 miles over three stages.

Presented by Visit California, a visual overview of the men’s and women’s courses is viewable at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/2018-route-overview.

“I’m excited about the season ahead and will be working hard to make the 2018 season a hugely successful one. The Amgen Tour of California has always been an incredibly special race for me, and will once again be a priority in my race calendar this year in the lead-up to the Tour de France,” said race veteran Mark Cavendish, who with 30 Tour de France stage wins is approaching the all-time record (34).

With seven new courses between them, the annual professional cycling events are the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar and attract some of the most renowned cyclists and teams in the world. The Amgen Tour of California is designed to cover a variety of terrain, allowing different types of specialists among the field of the world’s greatest cyclists to shine throughout the week. 2018 will mark the third time the race will run south to north.

“I like racing as well as training in California – I can see the beach and do altitude training all in one place. I’ve always had a really good time at the Amgen Tour of California and am excited to compete this year,” said Marcel Kittel, who claimed the opening stage last year.

Signed apparel from these all-star sprinters, along with other past Amgen Tour of California favorites, will soon be available through an Amgen Tour of California online auction benefitting American Red Cross Disaster Relief in light of the devastation brought on by wildfires and mudslides throughout the state. Race fans – and California fans – will be able bid on exclusive items from merchandise to behind-the-scenes race experiences to help people affected by disasters. 100 percent of the proceeds from the Amgen Tour of California auction organized by STAPLES Center Foundation support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. More details soon at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

With parts of the state still impacted by wildfires and subsequent mudslides, affected portions of the route will be inspected up until race time, and race routes are subject to change to ensure fan and rider safety.

Tags: Amgen, Amgen Tour of California, Cycle racing, cycling, Cyclists, Dimension Data, green jersey, Katusha, Katusha–Alpecin, long beach, Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, Sprinter, Team Dimension Data, Team Katusha, Tour de France News, Tour of California, UCI Worldtour, United States
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